


Would It Be a Sin?

by YouHateInvisiblePie



Series: Inspired by music [9]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Comforting Douglas, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Pre-Slash, Religious Discussion, sad Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YouHateInvisiblePie/pseuds/YouHateInvisiblePie
Summary: Arthur has a hypocritical question for Douglas."What do you think you've done wrong?" Douglas asked."I haven't done anything yet. It's something that I want to do."





	1. Wise Men Say

Douglas still wasn't convinced that Martin hadn't cheated in that day's word game, the victor of which didn't have to share a room with Arthur this trip. Overall, it wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience, rooming with the steward for a night. The first officer was more upset that he had lost at all, and not so much actually upset about what the punishment was.

The lights were off, the room was quiet, and Douglas was almost asleep when he heard his name.

"Douglas, are you awake still?" Arthur whispered.

Douglas resisted the temptation to pretend and replied with a small put-out sigh. "Yes, Arthur?"

"I have a sort of hypocritical question for you."

"Okay, let's hear it."

The silence that followed lasted long enough for Douglas to wonder if Arthur had finally fallen asleep afterall.

"Arthur?"

"Hmmm."

"Are you going to ask your question or not?"

"Oh. Right. Yes. Sure. Sorry, Douglas. My mind sort of went all fuzzy trying to figure out where to start."

"And did you?"

"I think so. Can you promise not to tell mum though?"

That was what truly grabbed the pilot's attention: Arthur, the boy who was perpetually cheery about everything and anything, sounded nervous. He also wanted to keep a secret. From his mother. That was the closest thing to lying that the steward was capable of, and it was a huge red flag.

Douglas chose his next words very carefully. "If keeping a secret puts you in danger in any way, then _I will_ tell Carolyn," Douglas informed Arthur. "That being said, as long as what you tell me isn't a threat to your safety, then you have my word."

"Thanks, Douglas." Arthur was quiet again for a few moments. "It's possible for the bible to be wrong about things, right?"

Douglas wasn't sure where he was expecting this conversation to go, but this definitely wasn't it. The airdot pilot was uncharacteristically caught off guard. "What?"

"The bible can be wrong about some things, can't it? Like how people aren't supposed to get divorced but they do, and that doesn't make them bad people. You and mum and Herc are all still brilliant. And...and mum and me are better off without dad, and happier without him living with us. So sometimes it can be a good thing even though it's supposed to be bad. And so that can be true about other things, can't it?"

Douglas sat up and did his best to make out the shape of Arthur in the dark, lying in the bed next to him.

"What do you think you've done wrong?" Douglas asked.

"I haven't done anything yet. It's something that I want to do."

"And what might that be?"

"Kiss Skip," Arthur admitted. "Would it be a sin? Because I can't help falling on love with him. Like that Elvis song. Do you know it?"

"Like the river flows, surely to the sea," Douglas sang, "darling so it goes, some things"

Arthur sang along quietly as Douglas finished the line.

"Were meant to be."

"Were made by bees."

There was silence for a few more moments.

"I thought you were more inclined toward the fairer sex," Douglas finally commented.

"Huh?"

"I thought you liked women," he tried again.

"I do. My girlfriends have always been lovely, brilliant even. Not as brilliant as Skip though, with his warm eyes, and his pretty smile, and his bright hair. Plus, I never sang Elvis songs in my head every time anyone else walked through the door, but I do with him." Arthur let out an odd noise that sounded like a combination of a hiccup, a sob, and a giggle.

"Arthur, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you liking men."

"It's just Martin."

"Or just Martin."

"I know."

"So then what's the problem?"

"What if I'm wrong?" Arthur sniffled, clearly struggling to hold back tears. "I'm wrong a lot Douglas, and I don't want Martin to go to hell just because I love him." Arthur was crying freely by the end of the sentence.

Douglas wasted no time in moving to sit on the steward's bed, and pulling the younger man up and into a hug.

"Oh Arthur, neither you or Martin are going to hell. I promise. And how often am I wrong?"

"Hardly ever," Arthur replied once he was finally able to catch his breath.

"Well there you are then. Now gallant steward, do you have a plan to tell our illustrious captain of your affections?"

"Not yet," Arthur admitted shyly.

"Well I do believe that I can help with that."

"Brilliant."

"And with a plan inspired by your dear mother no less."

"But Douglas, where are we going to get a piano?"


	2. A Nice, Natural, Low-Stakes Way to Meet People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I have set you up on a blind date."
> 
> "You what?!" Martin sqeaked indignantly. "Douglas!"
> 
> "You don't have to thank me right now," the first officer replied nonchalantly.
> 
> "I'm not thanking you at all!"

"So Martin, do you have any plans for our day off tomorrow? Any jobs with the van?" Douglas questioned his captain.

"No..." Martin answered cautiously. "No plans, no jobs. Why?"

"Fantastic."

"Is it?"

"Of course it is because I have set you up on a blind date."

"You what?!" Martin sqeaked indignantly. "Douglas!"

"You don't have to thank me right now," the first officer replied nonchalantly.

"I'm not thanking you at all!"

"Well you should be. I've set you up with someone very sweet."

"I - I - I - I - I - I - I - I -" Martin stuttered ineliquently, trying to come up with a reason, any reason at all, as to why he couldn't or shouldn't go. He came up blank.

"Great, so it's settled. Show up at that park a few blocks from the airfield at noon."

 

  
Martin was a nervous wreck. He sat on a bench, tapping his right foot anxiously on the ground and trying not to vomit.

He checked his watch again. 12:07. So now he was being rejected by people he hadn't even met yet. Great. That's how pathetic he was. Not even worth showing up to meet.

He told himself that perhaps this girl was just running late. So he'd wait a few more minutes. Even if all he wanted to do right now was run away. But that wouldn't be fair to the girl. Showing up to find that she wasn't worth meeting either... well Martin didn't want to inflict this horrendous feeling on anyone else, so he waited.

"Oh, hi Ski-Martin."

The airdot captain looked up from his shoes. "Arthur," he smiled at the familiar face. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Taking Snoopadoop for a walk. Want to join us?"

"Uh..." Martin glanced around the small park again and found not another soul. He looked at his watch. 12:32. "Sure."

"Brilliant!" Arthur beamed, reaching down and taking Martin's hand so he could help him up. "Let's go."

 

"So how did yesterday go?" Douglas asked the following morning in the portacabin as he set his tea down on top of a precariously stacked pile of papers that he was supposed to be filling out.

Martin glanced over at the steward briefly and a small smile crept onto his features. "She didn't show."

"Who didn't?" Douglas asked.

"The girl you set me up with."

"Martin," Douglas let out an exasperated sigh. "Why would I set you up with a woman? You're _terrible_ at talking to women."

For a moment Martin's face scrunched up in confusion before his eyes got really wide. He tilted his head in Arthur's direction.

Douglas gave an overexaggetated nod in response.

Martin blushed. "Thank you, Douglas."

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley 
> 
> While writing this piece, I also listened quite a bit to a truly beautiful cover by Reneé Dominique that mixes this song with "What A Wonderful World". I highly recommend checking it out:  
> https://youtu.be/XBIYD3h1olY


End file.
